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As Trump Slaps Tariffs On Solar Panels, 'America First' Trade Policy Takes Shape

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FILE- This April 20, 2011, file photo shows some of the 30,000 solar panels that make up the Public Service Company of New Mexico's new 2-megawatt photovoltaic array in Albuquerque, N.M. Some in the U.S. solar-power industry are hoping a decision this week by President Donald Trump doesn’t bring on an eclipse. Companies that install solar-power systems for homeowners and utilities are bracing for Trump’s call on whether to slap tariffs on imported panels. The solar business in the U.S. has boomed in recent years, driven by falling prices for panels, thanks in part to cheap imports. That has made solar power more competitive with electricity generated from coal and natural gas.  (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan,File)
FILE- This April 20, 2011, file photo shows some of the 30,000 solar panels that make up the Public Service Company of New Mexico's new 2-megawatt photovoltaic array in Albuquerque, N.M. Some in the U.S. solar-power industry are hoping a decision this week by President Donald Trump doesn’t bring on an eclipse. Companies that install solar-power systems for homeowners and utilities are bracing for Trump’s call on whether to slap tariffs on imported panels. The solar business in the U.S. has boomed in recent years, driven by falling prices for panels, thanks in part to cheap imports. That has made solar power more competitive with electricity generated from coal and natural gas. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan,File)

With guest host Jane Clayson.

President Trump slaps tariffs on imported washing machines and solar panels. That’s for starters. We’re looking at the risk and reality of his “America First” trade policy.

Highlights from this show: 'We're already in a trade war, and we're losing.' 

Guests:

Chad P. Bown, senior fellow at Peterson Institute for International Economics, co-host of the weekly podcast Trade Talks. (@ChadBown)

Jacob M. Schlesinger, senior correspondent for the Wall Street Journal. (@jmschles)

Greg Autry, assistant professor of clinical entrepreneurship with the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies in the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. (@GregWAutry)

From The Reading List:

Wall Street Journal: U.S. Imposes New Tariffs, Ramping Up 'America First' Trade Policy — "President Donald Trump slapped steep tariffs on imports of solar panels and washing machines, kicking off his second year in office by showing he is ready to start implementing his long-promised “America First” trade policy."

President Trump has a big sales pitch for the global leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week: “America First”, a path to economic success. He set the stage this week with tariffs on imported washing machines, solar energy cells and solar panels. And there’s talk of more to come. China’s blasting the policy, hinting at retaliation. The world’s cutting international trade deals without the US. This hour, On Point: tariffs, trade, and Trump. --Jane Clayson

This program aired on January 24, 2018.

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